// ZDNET — MOBILE & WEB
Your Bose headphones are getting a major Bluetooth upgrade – what to expect
Key Bluetooth technologies and upgrades to USB-C audio are coming to the company's flagship over-ears.
Nearly a year after releasing the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), Bose is gifting its headphones with some of the latest Bluetooth audio upgrades in an upcoming 10.12.12 firmware update. The flagship headphones will soon support Bluetooth LE Audio, enabling Auracast and audio streaming via the LC3 codec.
Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)
Additionally, this firmware update includes expanded USB-C audio support, enabling higher-quality audio streaming during voice calls and using the headphones’ voice microphone while gaming. The 10.12.12 firmware update also brings 5.1 spatial audio support to compatible Android devices.
These connectivity upgrades will be available in beta beginning this week, and users can update their QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) in the Bose app.
Among the premium heavy hitters — Apple, Sony, Sennheiser, and Sonos — Bose joins only Sony in offering Auracast support, powered by Bluetooth’s LE Audio standard. Other brands have embraced Auracast, including JBL and Google, but these brands fall behind the aforementioned powerhouses in over-ear headphone performance.
Also: Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra shows the company still outperforms Apple in one key area
Auracast support allows users to connect to Auracast audio streams in supported venues, such as theaters, churches, and stadiums, to listen in real time to theatrical productions, sermons, or sporting event commentary. On a smaller scale, Auracast also allows for users with a compatible phone and a pair of headphones or earbuds to share audio from the phone with an unlimited number of headphones.
Along with Auracast comes the mandated LC3 Bluetooth codec, which offers higher-quality audio with lower power consumption than the older, widely supported SBC codec. For now, only select Android phones support LE Audio, Auracast, and the LC3 codec, meaning Android users can obtain the most utility from these technologies.
Bose’s release notes for this 10.12.12 firmware update state that LE Audio features are restricted to compatible Android and Windows devices only.